CONTROLLED FLUIDS, INC.

Most businesses struggle to find a motion control partner they can rely on and their hydraulic systems end up failing or underperforming. At CFI, we provide custom hydraulic solutions and fluid power services to fit your needs so you can maximize production and minimize downtime, saving you money and headaches.

Press Releases

A few tons of equipment suspended during a rig up isn’t an ideal situation for worker safety or rig health. This means more danger for people on the ground through the risk of falling objects. In addition, prolonging the mast raise sequence places additional strain the mast’s structure and hydraulic lifting cylinders. Simply put, the longer it takes to position a rig mast, the higher the chances of injury or rig damage. Thus, a rig up is something you want done quickly, safely, and with as few people as possible.

Improving Rig Up Efficiency and Safety:

Consistent and synchronized cylinder control is a solution to help minimize potential risks during a rig up. This integrates the telescoping cylinders’ internal positioning sensors with an human machine interface package. The system optimizes cylinder scaling and performance by improving communication between the lifting cylinders, hydraulic power unit, and control interface. This control package results in more consistent and synchronized control of the mast raise cylinders to <1″ variance between each cylinder. This allows the rig up to be completed quickly by reducing cylinder positioning differentials that can stall the mast raise sequence. The end result is enhanced worker safety and reduced risk of rig damage through an expedited mast raise sequence.

This system improves worker safety by minimizing the amount of people required to complete a rig up. By synchronizing the lifting cylinders and providing a central point of control, the whole mast raising sequence can be controlled by one person. In addition, the human machine interface and respective wireless remotes means that operators can control the overall sequence from a safe location should anything go wrong.

Finding Your Hydraulic Automatic Solution:

Providing such a system requires a unique combination of expertise in hydraulics and human machine interfaces to design an automated motion control solution. Moreover, no two hydraulic control applications are the same and a solutions provider must work with a a customer to provide a solution tailored to a specific application. Contact CFI to learn how we can help with your hydraulic automation and improve rig performance and safety.

Products

Pathfinder 600 Rig Walking System

The Pathfinder 600 enhances rig safety by removing workers from the drill site & minimizing the amount of equipment that needs to be disassembled for movement. This allows you to focus more on production and less on disassembling and reassembling a rig....
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The Pathfinder 600 rig walking system eliminates the maze of pipes and hoses associated with a large central HPU by putting highly efficient, compact HPUs directly at the point of work. Each HPU features a designated onboard controller that communicates wirelessly with a central HMI and remote, allowing each HPU to automatically provide the correct output for safe rig movement. Once these HPUs are connected, they are able to automate and monitor the walking process via a wireless remote.

Pathfinder’s HPU arrangement provides enhanced control of rig feet versus traditional rig walking systems, enabling a 360° range of motion at a less than 1° margin during rig moves. Allowing a rig to turn about a specific target or move along an arc to approach the next drill site from the optimal direction.

Rig moves don’t just involve the drilling rig, so neither should your rig walking system. Pathfinder's decentralized HPU allows the system to expand from four walking pods to an array of eight or more fully synchronized pods. This design allows for ancillary equipment such as mud shakers to move in concert with the rig itself, allowing for faster moves and higher productivity.

FastBlock TDS11 Top Drive Manifold

The FastBlock Manifold is a durable & long lasting TDS11 Top Drive Manifold solution built from stainless steel to withstand an oilfield's demands of by avoiding the cracks and failures of less durable aluminum versions....
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Avoid Failures From Fragile Manifolds:

Many OEMs build manifolds out of aluminum to make for a cheaper and lighter manifold as it is much easier to machine the softer, more malleable metal. However, cutting corners does come with steep tradeoffs in manifold durability and longevity. One very common issue with aluminum manifolds arises from exposure to constant high flow applications as fluids erode the soft internals of the manifold block, resulting in washouts. In addition, with steel being much harder than aluminum, overtightened steel screws, bolts, and fittings can easily strip the manifold’s port threading, a non-repairable issue that ruins the manifold. Furthermore, impacts and vibrations from top drive operation can result in stress fractures or chipping and wear along the corners in an aluminum manifold, further reducing its longevity and functionality. All of these issues will result in a ruined manifold block as the system’s internal structure is too worn to maintain the correct flow rates and the system can no longer do what it’s meant to.

Get Durability and Longevity:

Oilfields demand rugged equipment and fragile aluminum based manifolds just won’t stand up to the harsh requirement of drilling operations. Machining a top drive manifold out of steel instead of aluminum will give you the strong and dependable control solution that drilling demands. The FastBlock, CFI’s TDS11 top drive manifold solution, is machined out of zinc-nickel ductile iron block, which is more durable than the standard aluminum version. Steel grants the FastBlock enhanced resistance to the washouts associated with aluminum manifolds. In addition, using a steel based block greatly reduces the risk of accidentally stripping a port and ruining the manifold. These factors combine to provide a durable and long lasting top drive manifold solution that lets you focus on drilling without worrying about if your manifold will fail you.

Superior Performance and Testing:

The FastBlock is designed to exceed the requirements of the standard TDS11 top drive manifold. This system is populated with explosion proof solenoid valves to meet the needs of top drive fluid control. In addition, each system is thoroughly tested on CFI’s instrument test stand to ensure quality and performance.